Talk Around the Campfire: 2
by RavenSara84
Summary: Kenta is trying to figure out what he could be missing, but there isn't much for him to go on. In the end Ryuuga tells him the truth and they both have a decision to make.


Title: Talk around the Campfire 2

Rating: T

Notes: Second part to Talk around the Campfire

Summary: Kenta is now thinking about something else, he got one part right, but something is missing and when he can't figure it out Ryuuga informs him of some rather surprising news.

The short blader look into the fire, joy followed through him as he thought of what he and his friends had managed to accomplish; stopping the bey Nemesis. What was even better was that Ryuuga had actually battled with him and saw him as an ally.

When they quickly left that island, which was slowly sinking back into the sea once more, Ginga had asked him to re-join them.

"I can't,"

The red haired teen looked at him in surprise, so did those around them, who knew him at least; "Why not?"

"Tch, he wants to get stronger," Ryuuga finally spoke and everyone just looked at him, but he paid no mind to them, his focus was directed at Ginga; "If he wants to get stronger then he should travel,"

Although Ginga still hated him, that hatred would unlikely leave him any time soon since Ryuuga always seemed to know which buttons to press to get on his nerve; "Yea, if he wants to get stronger, but he's already done that,"

"Yea but… I could become stronger still," Kenta looked at his bey for a moment before putting it back into his pocket; "Don't worry about me! I'll be fine,"

Ryuuga had already left the group and Kenta ran after him while his friends looked on.

_Should I have left them like that?" _He wondered to him, his mind so focused on his thoughts that Ryuuga had to thrown the fish at him; "Ah!" He looked up at the older teen who said nothing, just began to put a few of the fish over the fire to cook.

_That reminds me, how did he know Ginga's dad? _He put his own fish onto the fire and let it cook, but his thoughts took him away; _What do I know about the situation? He had battled Ginga's dad more than once…._

'_Stand up Ginga, stand up! Amuse me like only you can,'_

_That's another strange comment to come out with…_ Kenta wondered over it, that couldn't have been the first time he had battled Ginga either, and if he had been asleep for so long surely he couldn't have battled Ginga afterwards either.

"Kid!" Ryuuga called out and Kenta look at him, only to find the he was holding his slightly burnt fish; "What are you thinking about?" Kenta could easily hear the concern in his voice, but he knew it was only due to him traveling with the older balder for so long, had it been anyone else, they wouldn't have spotted it and assumed he was just trying to start a fight.

"About Ginga and his dad," Kenta admitted, letting the fish cool a bit before he took a bite.

"And?"

"I'm figuring it all out," Although if truth be told Kenta just felt himself going around in circles, nothing that was being thought over made sense; "I know you tried to get Ginga's dad to train you, but you also used to battle Ginga too,"

Ryuuga smirked, but he never gave anything away; "What makes you say that?"

"Well, it was what you said when you woke up from that coma, when we first saw you and Ginga battle. You said that Ginga amused you," He frowned, but he couldn't think of a way to have it all link together; "The only way you could have challenged Ginga would have been to live in the same village as him, but…" He noticed that Ryuuga shook his head; "Any clues?"

"You were close, I never lived in Koma village, well not _long term_ anyway," Ryuuga took over at him for a moment before closing his eyes; "What if I was to tell you that Ginga and I were related?"

Kenta fell off the log in disbelief and then moved to sit next to Ryuuga, his food neglected on the ground. This news was a bigger surprise; he never would have been able to have figured it out on his own.

"You and Ginga…" He frowned; "Cousins?"

"Exactly," He gave a sharp nod and looked over to him, shifting so that the young blader could sit on the log next to him; "As I said I was persistent with Ryo, but he didn't want to know, said there was something 'not right' about me," He shrugged; "Maybe he was right, I am the owner of the bey L Drago,"

"He didn't have to put it like that," Kenta commented, wondering how the man could have been so harsh to a young Ryuuga, the boy who was his nephew; "But how could Ginga hate you, if you two are family…?"

"My mother's side. I'm related to Ryo too," He said with distain, but explained a bit more of his family to the boy; "Not that it mattered much, we left Koma village, no point in staying when there was nothing there for us,"

"You remembered the history though… The legend of…"

"Yes. Of L Drago. She took me there once when I was younger, told me all about the bey and I could hear it call to me," Ryuuga admitted, but Kenta looked at him and was sure that he could see the older blader lose some tension, as though while speaking about his past, he was letting it go; "I never told anyone, but I later returned to see if Ryo would teach me more, since he had been the only accomplished balder with such a high track record of never being defeated that I was aware of at the time. Instead I met up with Doji and got L Drago as we both desired,"

"Does Ginga…"

"Doesn't remember. All he sees is an enemy, not that I mind," Ryuuga shrugged; "And I doubt Ryo is going to explain it either," He added before he could ask any more about that little family dilemma.

"What about your family though? I don't understand…" Kenta confessed, too confused by what was going on to get that Ryuuga never seemed to have any attachments to anyone, the last thing he expected was for him to have a family around.

"Dead,"

"Huh?"

"They died, from what I've been able to find out, Doji got rid of them…" He trailed off though, but Kenta was smart enough not to ask any more questions, instead he remained silent and sat next to him, knowing that he also wouldn't appreciate any pity or sympathy.

_Took me so long to get him to let me look at those wounds._ He thought, remembering how he had to struggle to look at the cuts that Ryuuga received from his previous match, in the end he managed to bandage up the more painful looking one's, not that you would have been able to tell with Ryuuga that they were painful.

_He's always wearing a mask. I just wish he'd show who he truly is I get glimpses but nothing…_ He trailed off, looking at Ryuuga and finding that he was able to read him so much easier than he had in the past; _You have to get to know him, you have to get past all those layers. If his family had been killed by Doji that would be a reason why he keeps everyone away._

To anyone else, Ryuuga was just staring in to fire, perhaps thinking of plans to get L Drago a power boost, but to Kenta it was different. He had been around the older balder for a while, although he wasn't aware of all of his emotions he was more aware of the changes.

_He's upset. But of what? He didn't seem to act like he cared too much about his parent's death…_ Kenta pondered some more over this, but he couldn't come to a conclusion and he didn't feel brave enough to ask Ryuuga what was causing him such pain.

"Or he thought he got rid of them," Ryuuga whispered, but Kenta heard him and waited; "I heard on of those blader's that Ginga was with comment about me looking similar to someone else they had met. Ryuuto,"

Kenta remembered someone saying it as well, but he hadn't paid any attention to it, just happy that darkness hadn't won and that everyone was all right. Now he realised that the comment shook Ryuuga up, he noticed the look in his eye, that little glint that told him, or _warned _him, that they would begin another journey.

"You think he is related to you?" Kenta finally asked, but was just as quiet.

Those amber eyes glided onto him, they had come to the conclusion; "No. Ryuuto would be my brother,"

"Ah!" Kenta looked at him, wide eyed in disbelief; "Brother? Really?" He flinched when he noticed the angry look he was being given; "I mean… You just seem so…"

"Untouchable?" Ryuuga said and then continued on to list the other phrases that people had given him.

"I just meant that…" Kenta stopped and realised something; "You said that I reminded you of yourself,"

"Yea,"

"I bet you and your brother used to be opposites, if my being that stubborn to follow you and learn from you, what if your brother was loud…"

Ryuuga moved off the log and lay on the ground, ready to sleep and not have this conversation; "Similar to you personality wise? No,"

Kenta became silent, trying to understand, but it was something new to him and he wasn't sure what he could do to help Ryuuga.

_I should just sleep on it._ He moved to the other side of the fire and decided to sleep as well.

XXX

The next morning, Kenta was up as Ryuuga did some basic training but the young blader didn't take part, making the white haired teen wonder what was wrong.

"I think I should go and journey on my own now," Kenta announced and he looked at him surprised at this admission; "Besides you have more important things to worry about now,"

"You think you can last out there alone?" He asked, and the younger boy smiled at him, finally understanding him.

"I don't know, but I have to try right? You did well on your own,"

"I had no choice in the matter," Ryuuga said bitterly; "You can come with me,"

Kenta looked away, not sure what to think. Part of him was happy that Ryuuga was actually inviting him to travel to find his brother, but another part just felt that it was a personal journey, one that Ryuuga should do on his own.

"I…" He took a breath; _I need to explain to him, to tell him the truth rather than have him think I was just with him, traveling with him just to become stronger_; "You are going to find your brother, I think you should do that alone. It's a bit… Well personal to have me tagging along,"

For a moment it didn't seem like the white haired teen would say anything and Kenta wondered if he should leave now, until finally he spoke; "If we are… _friends_," He felt uncomfortable using the word, it was clear to see; "Then you should come with me. As a … _friend_,"

"To keep you on track?" Kenta suggested with a small smile, pleased that Ryuuga was trying to get some more company.

"Yes," He nodded slowly.

"If you want me to join you," Kenta agreed; "All right then, but do you know where to start"

"Egypt," Ryuuga told him; "He appears to search for lost treasure,"

The two began to walk on, making the long journey to Egypt and to find Ryuuga's brother, neither knew how long it would take, but they both knew that it would be an experience that they needed in their lives.


End file.
